At the request of Native American leaders in the state, in 1971 the North Carolina General Assembly authorized the creation of the Commission of Indian Affairs.
[1] The enabling legislation of the commission tasked it with four goals: to provide services to Indian communities, to promote social and economic development, to promote recognition of Indian culture, and to preserve Indian cultural integrity.
[2] North Carolina was the first state among several in the southeastern United States to create a public agency for handling Native American issues.
[3] The commission is organized under the North Carolina Department of Administration.
[5] This comprises members appointed by the eight state-recognized tribes, four designated Indian urban associations, the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, the President of the North Carolina Senate, and seven ex officio members: the secretary of the North Carolina Department of Administration, the chairman of the N.C. Employment Security Commission, the secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the North Carolina Commissioner of Labor, the chairperson of the N.C.